Telecoms and cable group Altice refinances part of its debt

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PARIS, July 16 (Reuters) - Telecoms and cable group Altice Europe has refinanced and extended the maturity for part of its debt, as part of a restructuring plan aimed at improving its fortunes after concerns over debts and its SFR arm hit its shares last year.

The company, which has separated its Altice Europe arm from its U.S. division, said it had priced and allocated for its Altice France SA unit a $2.5 billion credit pool of new 8-year Term Loans B’s.

These new Term Loan B will bear interest at a margin of 400 basis points over LIBOR rates (London Interbank Offered Rate).

The average maturity of Altice France’s capital structure has also been extended from 6.4 to 6.8 years, said Altice.

In May, Altice Europe’s French unit SFR reported that it had added broadband customers for the first time since Altice founder and majority owner Patrick Drahi bought it in 2014. (Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Dominique Vidalon)